Union Minister for Women and Child Development Smriti Irani on Tuesday made a slew of announcements, including skill development and job assistance for children between the age groups of 15 to 18 at over 7,000 childcare institutions in the country among others.
On Tuesday, on the occasion of the National Day of the Girl Child, the ministry also said its flagship ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ programme will be revised with new goals and norms.
At a function organised by the WCD ministry, explaining the new norms of the revised BBBP programme, WCD secretary Indevar Pandey said the programme focuses heavily on educating and skilling of the girl child.
The ministry has now extended the scope of the scheme to include more elements for the development and empowerment of the girl child, he said.
Earlier this year, the ministry announced that the scheme would be extended to all districts since it was meant for only aspirational districts when it was launched in 2015.
“Some of the new aims of the scheme will be to ensure a 1% increment in enrolment at secondary level and skilling of girls and women every year, raising awareness about safe menstrual hygiene, and propagating elimination of child marriages,” the secretary said.
Pandey said the scheme, which is a tri-ministerial effort between the WCD, health and family welfare as well as education ministries, will now have multi-ministerial convergence, including the ministries of skill development and entrepreneurship, minority affairs, sports and youth affairs, among others.
“This will avoid duplication of government efforts, and will also ensure that there are not multiple touchpoints to confuse the beneficiaries, and communities at the grassroots level,” said Pandey.
The ministry also unveiled operation manuals for districts to follow while implementing the BBBP programme.
At the function, Smriti spoke to girl children from across the country who fought odds to take up non-traditional jobs. Speaking to a 15-year-old girl from Odisha’s Phulbari, Smriti promised to have financial hubs in every district where nodal officers will work with bank officials to provide financial assistance to girls hoping to start a venture of their own.
To another girl, who endured child marriage and domestic violence and was sent back from a shelter home after she turned 18, Smriti said all the 7,000 childcare institutions across the country will provide skilling and job counselling to children between the age of 16 to 18 years.